ERIC Number: EJ948799
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2011
Pages: 10
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1551-2169
EISSN: N/A
The Role of Film in Teaching Political Science: 5 Fingers and Operation Cicero
Bostock, William
Journal of Political Science Education, v7 n4 p454-463 2011
The idea that "film is an extraordinarily powerful teaching tool" (Champoux) is explored in relation to the film "5 Fingers" that presents an account of the true story of the reproduction and sale of top secret documents held by the British Ambassador in Ankara, Turkey to Nazi Germany by Elyesa Bazna, code named Cicero, arguably the most successful spy of World War II. In the classroom setting, it is proposed that the film can be viewed and assessed in relation to the books "Operation Cicero" by Moyzich, "I Was Cicero" by Bazna and academic texts, such as "The Cicero Spy Affair" by Wires. The conclusion can be reached that the situation presented filmicly should be largely confirmed by literature and scholarly text, and, if this is done, a powerful learning situation can emerge. In the case of the Cicero affair, the initial questioning of the spy's underlying rationalities is answered with a deep and wide comprehension of motivations, a valuable technique in the teaching of political science.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, War, World History, Political Science, Teaching Methods, Films, Instructional Materials, Higher Education
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Germany; Turkey; Turkey (Ankara)
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A